In the Fourth Russian edition the entire text of this
volume was verified once again with Lenin’s manuscripts
and sources.
All statistical data were checked again, but no correc-
tions were made where the totals or percentages do not tally,
because they are the result of Lenin’s rounding off the figures
from the sources.
The present volume contains footnote references to
Lenin’s “The Agrarian Question and the ‘Critics of Marx’”
and New Data on the Laws Governing the Development
of Capitalism in Agriculture. This has been done to show
the connection between the preparatory material and the
finished works, and to give an idea of how Lenin made use
of his notes.
Institute of Marxism-Leninism
under the C.P.S.U. Central
Committee

I
PLANS AND OUTLINES OF WORKS
ON THE AGRARIAN QUESTION

PLAN OF
“THE AGRARIAN QUESTION
AND THE ‘CRITICS OF MARX’”1
F I R S T V A R I A N T
Perhaps the following division:
A. Some of Bulgakov’s general propositions and “theories”
B. Factual data against the critics
M. Hecht*
Baden Inquiry (connect with Winzer)**
“Solid peasantry”
K. Klawki***
The Condition of the Peasants2
(Hertz****, 15) Baudrillart3
French statistics. (Souchon and Maurice)*****
German statistics****** (connect with co-operatives)
Belgium (Vandervelde, Ch/apowski*******?).
C. Class struggle o r co-operation?
Distortion of Engels.4
Overall data on employers and wage workers. Capi-
talist system.
Böttger.5 [Bulgakov’s greater consistency]
D. Russian agrarian programme in No. 3 of I s k r a 6.
* See pp. 116-25.—Ed.
** Wine grower. See pp. 180-85.—Ed.
*** See pp. 138-59.—Ed.
**** See pp. 96-106.—Ed.
***** See pp. 170-77.—Ed.
****** See pp. 189-217.—Ed.
******* See pp. 178-79.—Ed.

V. I. LENIN

S E C O N D V A R I A N T
A. Bulgakov on the law of diminishing returns
(cf. Maslov, who is not quite right7).
A. Bulgakov on big and small farms.
((To B?))Bulgakov on co-operation and individualism in
agriculture.
B. Baden data (in connection with Hecht).
B. Baudrillart....
B. The Condition of the Peasants....
C) ... Böttger....
C)
Distortion of Engels and Marx.
(“The Peasant Question”)
B.
Moritz Hecht.
B)
Co-operatives. (Cf. German statistics on dairy
farms)
C)
Overall data on rural labourers and rural employ-
ers.
D)
Russian agrarian programme in No. 3 of Iskra.
B.
K. Klawki.
B. French data on holders and proletariat in agricul-
ture.
(To A?) Electric power in agriculture
Pringsheim*
Mack8
Kautsky9
T H I R D V A R I A N T
CRITICS IN THE AGRARIAN QUESTION
A)
1. Introduction. 
Breach 
in 
orthodox 
Marxism
(Chernov No. 4, 12710).
I
2. General methods of the critics’ “theory” . Bulgakov:
law of diminishing returns (cf. Maslov)
3. Bulgakov’s own data in refutation of it.
4. Theory of rent (cf. Maslov).
5. Malthusianism: cf. Ireland.11
* See pp. 107-10.—Ed.
PNNNMNNNQ


II
6. Hertz (& Bulgakov). Agricultural machinery,
large- and small-scale production (Bulgakov
δ* Hertz: ε**). Con—Bulgakov I, 240, II, 115, 133.
7. Hertz. “Definition of capitalism” (and Chernov)
8. —mortgages (and Chernov). Cf. Bulgakov on
savings banks II, 375.
9. —Engels on America12 (Idem Chernov).
Bulgakov II, 433 (cf. I, 49)
Electric power in agriculture (Pringsheim, Mack,
K. Kautsky).
III 10. Chernov. Kautsky is annihilated (A—6 Chernov13).
Ibidem Kautsky on usury, Kautsky on the dis-
tinguishing characteristics of the proletariat.
Voroshilov.
11. Voroshilov about N. —on and others. (A—1
 
Chernov13)
12.
”
“form and content” of capitalism
B)) IV
1. M. Hecht (Blondel,14 Hertz, David, Chernov).
2. K. Klawki (against Auhagen) (Bulgakov)
V
3. The Condition of the Peasants (Quotations from
Hertz and Bulgakov)15
4. Baden Inquiry.
5. Conclusions on “s o l i d p e a s a n t r y” (Bul-
gakov ε.*** Hertz—p. 6 N.B. Hertz δ.****
Chernov on petty-bourgeois peasantry. Chernov
No. 7, 163; No. 10, 240).
VI
6. Baudrillart (Hertz p. 15 et al., Bulgakov II, 282)
7. Souchon and Maurice.
VII
8. French statistics. (Property and farm operations,
cf. Hertz: “no proletarisation at all” p. 59. Em-
ployers and labourers establishments with hired
labour) 
.
VIII
9. German statistics. Latifundia. (Cf. Hertz and
Bulgakov).
9 bis. German statistics....***** (Cf. Bulgakov
II, 106).
* See p. 87.—Ed.
** See p. 104—Ed.
*** See p. 87.—Ed.
**** See p. 104.—Ed.
***** Several words illegible.—Ed.

V. I. LENIN

10. German statistics. Industrialisation of rural indus-
try (Bulgakov and Hertz, p. 88).
11. German statistics. C o - o p e r a t i v e s.
Cf. Baden data on the Winzers.
IX 12. Belgium. (Vandervelde, Ch/apowski).
C))
X
1. Overall 
data 
on 
employers 
and 
labourers.
(C a p i t a l i s t system)
2. Nonsense about “peasantry”.
3. Distortion of Engels (“The Peasant Question”).
(Hertz, Chernov.)
4. Bulgakov (more consistent).
5. Class struggle o r co-operation.
6. B ö t t g e r.
D) XI
Russian agrarian programme and No. 3 of Iskra.
I s k r a’s a p p r o a c h to the question.
Objections of 2a3b16
The pros and cons.
F O U R T H V A R I A N T
CRITICS IN THE AGRARIAN QUESTION
I
1. Introduction. Agrarian question—“breach” (first one)
in orthodox Marxism. (Chernov No. 4, 127; No. 8,  0 4).
2. General theoretical propositions and reasoning of critics
(Bulgakov, Hertz and Chernov). Bulgakov: law of dimin-
ishing returns (cf. Maslov). Bulgakov’s phrases: I, 2,
13, 1 7, 18, 20, 21 (29-30 especially), 34, 35, 64 and
many others. (Cf. K. Kautsky versus Brentano. No
wonder Bulgakov is delighted with Brentano. I, 116.)
3. Refutation of this law with Bulgakov’s own data: in
Britain: I, 242, 260; in Germany: II, 132-33. In France
II, 213.
4. Theory of rent. (Cf. Maslov.) Bulgakov I, 92, 1 0 5.
111-1 3.
5. Malthusianism. Bulgakov I, 214,
255. II, 41 etc. II, 212 (France
N.B.)— cf. II, 159.
Especially II, 221, et seq. 223,
237 and 233, 49,  6 5 N.B.
(and 261). Ireland II, 351, 384.
Bulgakov about
Hertz I, 139
(“remarkable”).


II
6. Bulgakov & Hertz. Agricultural
machinery Bulgakov I, 43-51.
Hertz pp. 40, 60-65. Reactionary
attitude towards agricultural ma-
chinery: Hertz, 65; Bulgakov I,
51-5; II, 103.
Con on machines. Hertz 36
(America); 43-44; 15 (latifun-
dia), 124 (steam plough). Bulga-
kov I, 240; II, 115, 133.
7. Bulgakov & Hertz. Large- and
small-scale production. Bulgakov
I, 142, 154; II, 135; 280 (Cf.
282-83).
Con—Bulgakov I, 39-40. Hertz
52, 81. (Machines on small
farms). Con 74 (small farms
> labour); 
89-90 
(peasant’s
labour rent); 91-92 (collateral
employment).
Bulgakov II, 247 (small farms<
rich in capital).
8. Hertz: “definition of capitalism” (p. 10)—and Chernov
No. 4, 133.
9. Hertz (and Bulgakov in Nachalo17?)—mortgages. Hertz
24, 26, 28. (C h e r n o v No. 10, 216- 17). Kautsky’s
reply.
10. “Engels’s mistake” (Hertz 31; Chernov No. 8, 203).
Cf. Bulgakov I, 49 and II, 433 (“naïveté).
Cf. Electric power in agriculture (Pringsheim, Mack,
K. Kautsky’s
Machines in Britain:
I, 252
(Hertz 67: higher
yields from steam
plough).
Con—Bulgakov.
In Britain: I, 311,
316, 318-19. Small-
scale production was
> damaged.
I, 333 (in Britain—?
their (small farms’)
unviability has not
been proved?)
France II, 188-89.
(reduction in the
number of medium
farms—Bulgakov’s
dodges) II, 213
(small farms “in
the vanguard” ??).
Ireland II,
359-60

V. I. LENIN

III
11. Chernov—“Form and content of
capitalism”: No. 6, 209; No. 8,
228.
12. Chernov about Russian Marxists:
No. 4, 139; No. 4, 141; No. 8,
238; No. 10, 213; No. 11, 241
and No. 7,166 (who are their com-
rades?) eulogises Nikolai—on
and Kablukov: No. 10, 237.
13. Chernov. Kautsky is “annihilated”: “have even failed to
grasp what Marx says” (No. 7 ,169)—idem in the collection
At the Glorious Post on usury, on the distinguishing
characteristics of the proletariat.
Voroshilov: No. 8, 229. (Cf. K. Kautsky).
IV
14. M. Hecht (Blondel, p. 27, Hertz 68, 79; Chernov
No. 8, 206. David).
15. K. Klawki (Bulgakov I, 58). A couple of words
about Auhagen. Hertz 70 and Bulgakov I, 58. (Cf. Hertz
66; crops in Prussia and Southern Germany.)
16. T h e C o n d i t i o n o f t h e P e a s a n t s. (Quo-
tations by Bulgakov and Hertz.)
V
17. B a d e n 
I n q u i r y (Hertz’s
especially); and Bulgakov passim:
18. VII Conclusions on the “s o l-
i d 
p e a s a n t r y” 
(Bulga-
kov II, 1 3 8 N.B. and 456),
on the peasant's attitude to the
worker 
(Bulgakov 
II, 
288;
Hertz 4-15; 9. Hertz, 6 (with
1-2 hired labourers) and 5.
Chernov No. 7, 163 (‘petty-
Distortion of Marx-
ism: International:
No. 5, 35. Marx on
agriculture No. 6,
216, 31 and many
others. Engels on
Belgium, 
No. 
10,
234.
The journal Nachalo
I, pp. 7 and 13.
references 68, 7 9
especially II, 272).
Bulgakov 
II, 

(“ peasantophobia”).
Bulgakov 
II, 

(“the French peas-
antry split up into
the proletariat and
the proprietors”)
Bulgakov II, 118


bourgeois”); No. 10, 240 (peas-
ant = working man)).
VI
19. B a u d r i l l a r t (Hertz, 15 et
seq., 5 6-5 8; Bulgakov II, 282).
Cf. Bulgakov II, 208
from Baudrillart, Vol. 1
Souchon and Maurice. (Cf. Bul-
gakov II, 280 on hired labour-
ers on small farms).
VII
20. French statistics. Distribution
of rural population. Hertz 55;
Bulgakov II, 195-97 and Hertz
59 and 6 0: (no pauperisation).
Employers 
and 
workers 
(cf.
Bulgakov II, 191).
Establishments with hired la-
bourers.
VIII
21. German statistics.
Acreage statistics.
Fewer labourers owning land
(Bulgakov II, 106).
Latifundia. (Cf. Hertz 15;
Bulgakov II, 126, 190, 363).
Industrialisation (Bulgakov II,
116; Hertz 88).
Co-operatives (cf. Baden data
on the Winzers). Hertz 120.
(“solid peasants
& technically
advanced big ones”).
Souchon on the need
of big and small
farms. Cf. Bulga-
kov I, 338 (Britain:
verdict of history—
for small farms)
Cf. Rentenguter.18
Hertz p. 55 and
p. 140 on the migra-
tion 
of 
peasant
hired labourers from
the North to the
South of France. (Cf.
Bulgakov II, 191.)
—Bulgakov II, 260
illusion that the
big farm is vehi-
cle of progress.
 —Hertz 21, 89
(“The chief task of
 socialism”).

V. I. LENIN

IX
22. Belgium. (Vandervelde. Subsi-
diary earnings. Ch/apowski. The
state of small-scale production
Collateral earnings).
X
23. Overall data on owners and
labourers in European agricul-
ture (C a p i t a l i s t system).
(Cf. Maurice on concentration.
Hertz 82 and 55 (1)).
24. Nonsense about the concept of
“peasantry”. (Cf. Russian statis-
tics. Its advantages.)
25. Distortion of Engels (“The Peas-
ant Question”) on the question
of 
co-operatives. 
Hertz 

(Chernov No. 5, 42; No. 7, 157)
26. Bulgakov > consistent (II, 287,
266, 288). Hertz on socialism:
pp. 7, 14, 10, 72-73, 123, 76,
93, 105.
On socialism: Bulgakov II, 289,
4 5 6, 
2 6 6 
[denial 
of 
class
struggle: cf. also Bulgakov I,
303 and 301.—Britain].
27. Class 
struggle 
o r 
co-opera-
tion. Hertz 21, 89. (“The chief
task of socialism”.) (Cf. Cher-
nov. 
Non-capitalist 
evolution
No. 5, 47; No. 10, 229, 243-44.)
Chernov in the collection.
At the Glorious Post 1 9 5,
185, 188, 196.
Cf. Bulgakov II, 455
(“the grain prob-
lem > terrible than
the social one”)
Antithesis of town
and country. Hertz

Bulgakov in
N a c h a l o
Class 
struggle 
or
adaptation to the
interests of the big
and petty bourgeoi-
sie.
(Is the money econo-
my the best way?
Hertz 20).
[Bulgakov 
versus
socialism, see § 26].
Bulgakov 
II, 

(in favour of vege-
table plots: cf, II,
105. Agrarian.


Idem on corn taxes.
II, 141-48).
28. Böttger (Cf. K. Kautsky) (Quoted by Chernov No.)
XI
29. Russian agrarian programme and No. 3 of Iskra.
A p p r o a c h
1) class struggle
2) its two forms
30. Objections of 2a3b (“cut-off lands”).
The pros and cons.
Written in June-September 1901
First published in 1932
Printed from the original
in Lenin Miscellany XIX
!
!

CONTENTS
OF “THE AGRARIAN QUESTION
AND THE ‘CRITICS OF MARX’”
§§
I. (Law of diminishing returns)
pp.
 2- 27
II. (Theory of rent)
pp.
27- 48
III. (Machines)
pp. 48- 73
IV. (Town and country)
pp. 74- 101
V. (Hecht)
pp. 102- 117
VI. (Klawki)
pp. 118- 144
VII. (Baden Inquiry)
pp. 144- 168
VIII. (German statistics)
pp. 168- 189
IX. (idem)
pp. 189-222
Written in June-September 1901
First published in 1932
Printed from the original
in Lenin Miscellany XIX

Lenin’s manuscript,
Contents of “The Agrarian Question
and the ‘Critics of Marx’”.
Earlier than February 1906